With Arms Wide Open
by Anonymous1O1
Summary: So what's the diagnosis, doctor?" she asked nervously. Dr. Reynolds smiled sweetly. "Misty, my dear, it seems that I'll be putting in a prescription for some prenatal pills, because you're pregnant."
**Hi everyone! I've been doing a lot of writing lately, so I figured now would be a good time to write this little one-shot. The last time I wrote a Pokemon one-shot was way back in April of 2015 with Cut Off. So, here I am again to write another one almost a year later. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **The featured story for this one-shot is Looks by Echidna Power. "** **It's Ash's birthday and all of his friends have gathered together in the woods to reminisce on the time they spent traveling with their favorite Pokemon Trainer. But something's about to happen that could change the way that Ash and Misty look at each other forever…the question is, is it for the better?" I actually just read this one right before writing this one-shot. It was really good. There was absolutely no dialogue, which actually helped it flow really nicely. It had a lot of emotion in it, and it was great.**

 **By the way, the only reason this is rated T is because there are some references to sex. That's all.**

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Misty Ketchum slid her hands up and down the steering wheel of her Honda Civic, streaking sweat across the plastic. Her hands were so shaky and clammy she could barely keep a hold on the wheel. She tried to keep her somewhat spotty vision focused on the road ahead of her. The highway in rush hour was no place to be losing her focus.

"It's okay, Misty," she assured herself rather breathlessly. "It's nothing serious. You'll be fine. Even if it is true, you'll be fine. You've got nothing to worry about. Don't let the past get you going. You'll be fine." Even so, she wished that Ash were with her. He would be able to calm her down. Get her to see that everything would be just fine, no matter what. Assure her that just because things didn't work out the first time didn't mean things would go poorly this time.

Her throat constricted as she recalled the arduous events that had transpired three years prior. Her and Ash, married for nine months at the time, decided to try for their first child. Everything had gone exactly as planned at first. However, things had quickly descended from heaven to hell when, during her second trimester, she'd miscarried. It had been a devastating blow to the both of them. They'd both fallen into the deep recesses of depression for many months. They fought a lot; there was even one time she could recall when he walked out. Of course, he came back the next morning, but the next several weeks after that had consisted of a lot of tiptoeing around and quiet talk.

It was only just a month ago or so when they finally began to accept what had happened. They both started attending grief counseling sessions together, which seemed to provide them both with some form of closure. Of course, things still weren't perfect. Ash still had his episodes, and Misty still cried. But alas, that was to be expected. After all, it hadn't quite been six months since they lost the baby. Nobody in their right mind would have expected them to have recovered enough to move on with their lives.

They had resumed their sex life only recently. Months of disconsolateness and grief during had taken the spark out of their romance. During those months the last thing on either of their minds was sex. Dealing with the anger and despair that each day brought meant that the idea of fun seemed worlds away.

When they'd had their first night together in months just a short while prior, Misty had never expected it to end with a missed period. She thought Ash had enough sense in him after all that had happened to at least play it safe. She'd trusted him to take the necessary precautions before and during the act. The idea that she was wrong to trust him was hitting her harder than the idea that she could be pregnant again. That she had another tiny little life inside of her; a life that could be stomped out just as easily as the last one's. She could lose this one, just like she'd lost the last one. That thought scared her more than anything else in the world.

It was why she'd kept her suspicions totally to herself. She just hoped all of the stress she'd been under was the reason for her missed period. Of course, the odds of three positive pregnancy tests all being wrong were slim, but a woman could dream. She just wanted to hear the doctor say those words. Tell her that she wasn't pregnant. She just wanted to go home with the knowledge that she was safe. Naturally she'd have to berate her husband for his carelessness, but she had a feeling he was expecting it. She had a feeling that he knew, somehow, and was just waiting for her to say it.

But she hadn't. She hadn't said a word to him; hadn't told him that she thought she was pregnant. She didn't want to see the terror on his face. Didn't want to watch as he broke down into a sorry mess worrying himself over the things that could happen. The things that would happen.

Her teeth gnashed against her inner cheek as she pulled her car into the parking lot of Dr. Reynolds' office. She swallowed hard, not wanting to get out of the car. After spending several moments debating with her heart, she cracked open the door and stepped out onto the dry, cracked pavement.

Wiping the sweat off of her palms, she shut the door and walked up to the entrance. She smiled kindly as a young man held the door for her, and stepped inside. The cool A/C hit her face much like the refreshing breeze she was used to from her and Ash's beachfront home. It was definitely a sharp change from the beating July heat of the outside, and she was grateful for it. At the very least, the heat would serve as a good enough excuse for the sweat that covered her from head to toe. Trying her best not to look scared out of her mind, she traipsed up to the front desk.

"Hello!" the woman behind the wooden structure chirped. Her beady little eyes sparkled in a warm, welcoming manner that Misty appreciated. "What can I do for you today?"

Misty put her arms up on the counter, trying her best to look normal. "I've got an appointment with Dr. Reynolds."

She nodded. "Of course. I'll let him know you're here."

"Thank you."

Seeing as she had no more reason to just stand there, Misty moved over to the waiting room. As she sat down in the first empty seat she came across, she couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of emotions. She bit back tears as she recalled the first time she'd come to see Dr. Reynolds, when she and Ash had first found out they were expecting. They had both been so excited and nervous. She remembered Ash sitting next to her, keeping his hand on her stomach the entire time. She recalled the sweet looks and kind, congratulatory words they got from passersby. Neither of them could have fathomed the idea of losing their first child before it was even out of the womb. If only things had gone the way they were supposed to. If only he were here right now.

She let her uptight gaze travel around the room, taking in the other young, expectant couples. One young woman seemed to be very far along, sitting alongside her husband. His face was irradiated with a look of pure joy; he looked as if someone had just given him the winning lottery ticket. Misty figured his partner was almost at full term.

Others in the small room were not quite so far along. In fact, most of them looked to be at the same stage as Misty... if she was in fact pregnant. She felt a sudden, odd feeling as she thought about how all of the children her child could potentially become friends with were technically in the room with her. Maybe even her son or daughter's future husband or wife. How weird would that be? Thinking of it, she couldn't help but crack the first smile she'd broken all day.

"Misty Ketchum?"

Her head snapped to the side. One of the nurses was standing at the entrance to the waiting room, looking around the room quizzically. Slowly, Misty got out of her chair and walked over to her. "I'm here."

The young woman nodded. "Yes, of course. Right this way, ma'am."

The whitecoat led the redhead down several winding hallways and into a small white room. Knowing full well how things worked, Misty boosted herself up onto the examination table and waited for the questions.

They came, of course. She was asked many things, from her reason for the appointment to her level of discomfort to whether or not she was allergic to any medication. She answered each and every one of them honestly albeit impatiently. Even though she knew that they were coming, she still couldn't help but want them over with. She just wanted to see the doctor and be done with it.

After the questions came the pre-exam. The nurse took her temperature, her blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse. She checked her ears, eyes, and throat. She asked her to proceed through the usual pregnancy test procedures. Misty sat rigid through the entire thing, hoping her fear wasn't apparent. She took a deep breath, trying to remain stoic.

At last, the nurse wheeled backward. She looked at Misty with a knowing stare, a small smile curling the corners of her lips.

"Are you nervous?"

Misty deflated. Her acting hadn't been good enough after all. "Yes," she admitted. Her voice was small and weak. "My husband and I... miscarried the first time, and I've been nervous as hell ever since I got suspicious."

She nodded understandingly. "That's perfectly normal. Every woman has a right to be nervous, but you have double that reason." She patted her knee. "Just have faith. This time, things will work out. You have to believe that; not only for your sake, but for your husband's as well."

She nodded, tears pricking at the backs of her eyes. "I know. It's just hard. After we lost the baby, my husband and I went through a rough time. We almost split. I just... I don't want something like that to happen ever again."

"The strongest relationships are the ones that can make it through the toughest situations," she murmured, almost to herself. Louder, she said, "If you and your husband managed to stay together through the roughest time of your lives, you'll be fine now. I haven't even seen you together, and I can tell the love between you is strong." She stood up. "You'll both make fine parents, when the time comes. Stay strong, and never stop believing in the power of love."

Misty didn't respond. As the woman left, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd been through something similar. She had sounded so knowing as she talked, as if she was able to see into the future and knew that everything would be okay. Misty found her eyes drifting to her stomach as she wondered if she had any reason to believe that love alone would be enough.

As she waited for the doctor, she leaned back on the examination seat. Her eyes wandered up to the stark white ceiling as she listened to the faint hum of other doctors, patients, and nurses. Dr. Reynolds' office was home to four doctors, all OBGYNs. That meant that the office was always buzzing with activity, no matter what the time. Almost any young couple you talked to in the area would tell you the same thing- that they had gone to Dr. Reynolds or one of his co-workers. His practice was like a monopoly in the Kanto medicine business.

After what could have been twenty minutes or twenty years, the door to the exam room opened. Misty's head snapped to the right as Dr. Reynolds himself stepped in. He was a relatively young man, perhaps in his early thirties, with thick black hair and bright blue eyes behind a pair of smart folk glasses. He smiled at Misty as he stepped into the room, clipboard in hand.

"How are you today, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Pretty nervous, honestly," she disclosed. Dr. Reynolds had always made her feel comfortable. She felt as if she could always be open and honest with him, no matter what. It was the reason she'd chosen to come back to him for what she hoped wasn't number two.

He chuckled. "After everything you've been through? You have every reason to be." He pulled over the rolling chair and sat down. Clicking his pen into the writing position, he looked at her expectantly. "So you called yesterday and made this appointment. You told the receptionist that you're suspicious of being pregnant. Have I got that correct, or did they give me the wrong sheet again?"

She smiled at that. "Yes, that's correct. Ash and I had intercourse, and then I missed my period, so..."

He nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I see." Leaning back in his chair, he said, "Have you taken any kind of pregnancy test?"

She nodded. "Three. All positive." Her voice squeaked on the word "positive".

He scribbled something down on his clipboard. "One of the nurses is currently looking at what you gave us from your tests. The results should be back shortly."

The thought of getting the results back and knowing for sure whether or not she was pregnant got Misty breaking out in a cold sweat. She dug her nails into the foam padding on the examination table, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy.

She felt a strong hand on her leg. "Are you alright, Mrs. Ketchum?"

The young woman sucked in a big breath, her eyes fluttering closed, then open again. "Yeah," she breathed. "The thought of knowing just has me a bit concerned."

He pursed his lips. "I see. Well, at least we're getting the scary part over with, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." Even so, she couldn't help the worry that gnawed at her belly. It felt like someone was taking her stomach and rolling it down a hill. She felt like puking, but didn't all the same. She'd never felt so strange in all her life. She tried some of the breathing exercises her counselor had advised for when she got worked up, praying to the Lord above that she didn't have a panic attack or something embarrassing like that.

She was right in the middle of one of several exercises when there was a knock at the door. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard it. A soft, muffled male voice came from the opposite side. "Anyone in?"

"Yes," Dr. Reynolds' booming voice answered. He gave me an assuring look and stood up, opening the door just a bit. A single piece of paper passed through. With nimble fingers the OBGYN took it before letting the door shut. Sitting himself back down, he examined the paper.

This was it. Misty's heart began to slam against her ribcage, sending sharp, painful vibrations through her chest. She struggled to keep her breathing steady, aware of what the consequences of having a panic attack now would be. Her leg shook in an anxious, jittery way; blood pounding in her ears. No longer able to take it, she found her voice.

"What's the diagnosis, doctor?" she asked nervously.

Dr. Reynolds smiled sweetly. "Misty, my dear, it seems that I'll be putting in a prescription for some prenatal pills, because you're pregnant."

Misty stared at him. She wasn't sure what to think. Should she be happy? Angry? Terrified? She didn't know.

So she laughed. And cried.

The last thing she remembered clearly was Dr. Reynolds giving her a great big hug and handing her a prescription for some pill, with instructions to come back in two weeks. The next thing she knew, she was pulling into the driveway of her Cerulean home, armed with the knowledge that her life was about to change forever.

But as soon as she walked inside and saw him, it all came crashing down.

He was sitting on the couch, watching some show on T.V. As soon as she came in, he flicked off the set and got up to meet her. She noticed the anxiousness in his eyes.

"How was it?" he asked quietly.

Misty pursed her lips. Taking his hand, she lead him toward the living room. "Honey, we need to talk about something. Something big."

She felt Ash give her hand a little squeeze, and returned it. She hoped he wouldn't break down as she expected him to. She wasn't sure if she could handle that. She sat him down carefully. Slowly. Taking a deep breath, she began what was likely the hardest speech she'd made in a while.

"I know how hard everything has been for you and I these past few months. I know how hard we both took the baby's... death. I know it almost tore apart our marriage. That's why I waited to tell you this. I didn't want to tell you until I was absolutely sure. Until I saw the doctor and got an actual confirmation. But... now I am sure. The results came back, and... I'm pregnant."

She saw a mix of emotions swirl in his eyes like the waves outside. Surprise. Confusion. Then... happiness.

She let out a loud squeal of surprise as he suddenly picked her up, lifting her high into the air as he used to do when they were first married. He spun her around, letting out a sharp cry of joy. "You can't be serious!?" He asked incredulously.

Misty nodded, tears of joy - not pain - pouring down her face. "I'm serious!" she cried, the words bubbling in her throat. "We're going to have a baby, Ash! We got another chance!"

He pulled her into a tight embrace, crying into her hair. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it, I just can't believe it!" he repeated over and over again. He spun them around again, before losing his balance and falling over on to the couch. For the first time in months, they both laughed gaily, their arms and legs tangled together.

"I'm gonna be a dad," he murmured suddenly, his voice right next to his wife's ear.

She smiled broadly. "And I'm gonna be a mom."

He kissed her then. She melted into it; kissing him out of love rather than passion or need. She could have stayed like that for eternity, but he pulled away. She found her big green eyes staring into his own brown ones. They shimmered with tears as he beamed lovingly down at her.

"I love you, Misty. Do you love me?"

She laughed, pulling him down for another kiss. "Always, you big buffoon. Always."

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 **I hope you enjoyed. I'm sorry if I got the OBGYN appointment wrong, but I've never been pregnant nor am I a doctor, so I wouldn't know. Please excuse my errors, if you should find them.**


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